Read Online Fabulous Five 032 - Class Trip Calamity by Betsy Haynes - Free Book Online Page B

turned toward the water so that her friends
couldn't see the tears in her eyes, and if they noticed anything, they didn't
let on.
    "I think I'll die if we don't get to eat pretty soon,"
lamented Melanie.
    "Me, too," said Beth. "I'm starved."
    "Miss Dickinson said that there are picnic tables by
the Statue and we can have our lunch there," said Alexis.
    "Terrific," said the others.
    Jana had completely lost her appetite, and it didn't return
when a few minutes later, they found a table in the shadow of the giant statue
and began spreading out their lunches. When they had come back down from the
top deck to get off the ferry, she had looked again for Randy and Laura.
Neither was there, and now Laura was with Melissa and Tammy at a nearby table,
and Jana had seen Randy talking to Scott Daly.
    Jana had been gazing absently in Laura's direction, silently
brooding about all the time Laura had spent with Randy, but now Jana focused on
Laura's face. Something was wrong, but Jana wasn't sure what it was.
    Tammy and Melissa seemed to be pleading with Laura about
something, but Laura wasn't having any part of it. Shaking her head angrily,
she cast her half-eaten sandwich aside and began taking big gulps from her
thermos.
    Uh-oh, thought Jana. Laura's really going after that stuff.
    Jana turned to Funny, who was sitting beside her and
watching Laura, too.
    "Did you see what I saw?" Jana whispered.
    Funny nodded. "I'm not surprised, though. Laura's been
acting strange lately. I think she's got trouble at home."
    "Laura?" Jana asked in astonishment. A little more
sarcastically, she added, "I thought Laura had the most perfect home life
on earth."
    "Yeah, that's what she wants everyone to think,"
said Funny.
    Jana started to make a nasty remark, but she remembered the
incident a few months ago when Laura had tried to convince everyone that she
had a maid. Maybe things weren't as great for Laura as she tried to pretend.
    "So what kind of problem is she having?" asked
Jana.
    Funny looked at Jana apprehensively, then sighed. "Promise
you won't tell anyone, but I think something's wrong between Laura and her dad."
    "Humpf," sniffed Jana. "I thought her dad
worshipped her and let her get away with murder."
    "That's what everybody thought, including the rest of
The Fantastic Foursome," Funny said. "But ever since he got a big
promotion a few weeks ago, Laura's been talking about how he spends a lot of
evenings and weekends at the office, leaving her home alone. And when he is
home, his girlfriend, Trudy, is always there. If you want my opinion, I think
it's making Laura miserable."
    "But what does that have to do with drinking?"
asked Jana.
    "Who knows?" said Funny. "I really shouldn't
be talking about her problems to anyone—except I know I can trust you not to
tell anyone—but she really has me worried."
    No one else heard their conversation. Melanie was gazing
around, probably looking for Shane, and Beth and Alexis were talking together.
As usual, Katie was munching on a carrot stick and reading the brochure on
Ellis Island and the Statue.
    "Oh, my gosh. This is too good to be true!" she
cried, and Jana looked away from Laura to see what Katie was excited about now.
    "Don't keep us in suspense," said Alexis. "What's
so great?"
    "Listen to this," replied Katie. "You know
that poem I like so much? The one that starts, 'Give me your tired, your poor,
/ Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, / The wretched refuse of your
teeming shore—'"
    "Yes! Yes! We know the poem," Beth said
impatiently. "So, what about it?"
    Katie gave her a disgusted look. "Well, it just so
happens that it was written by Emma Lazarus —another woman. " Katie
made a sweeping gesture, taking in both the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
"Do you realize that without women this whole place might not
exist!"
    "Wow," said Melanie in a reverent voice. She
looked at both Ellis Island and the Statue and said, "That's really
special."
    Funny's tinkling laughter rang out.